MSC Star R

Ships are probably my favourite subject so when I got a job in the port I could see these huge pieces of engineering up close. Taking the Blip today I was reminded of the days when the guys working onboard ship lashing and the guys on the wharf would get cold and wet in the miserable weather. I drove heavy plant so could turn the heater up or the air con down.

MSC Star R, I really don't know where the names come from, is a container ship that can carry 3430 TEU's (Twentyfoot  Equivalent Units). All containers are quoted as 20 feet as some spaces onboard can only take a 20 foot container although most containers are 40 feet long. It's one of the larger ships to come into Nelson at 243 metres x 32 metres.
MSC stands for Mediterranean Shipping Company formed in India 1970.

There's quite a lot going on in this picture, the ship has just arrived and it's main engine is still running, the tug is about to release the tow, the pilot launch is waiting  to collect the pilot as there is a car transporter waiting to enter port (anything over 500 tons requires a pilot), one of the linesmen can be seen in yellow in his hi-vis towards the front of the wharf and the ship still has it's navigation lights on.

The Extra is me with my forklift, with the container its holding it was 115 ton. Happy days.

Even though it has been a showery day I have managed once again to walk Kasper twice keeping dry.